Fluke multimeter buying guide

Updated: 22 October 2026

You already want a Fluke, and the shelf on amazon.co.uk still offers seven different handhelds, from the pocket 101 at £89.99 up to the 179 at £442.80 on 21 October 2026.

You already want a Fluke, and the shelf on amazon.co.uk still offers seven different handhelds, from the pocket 101 at £89.99 up to the 179 at £442.80 on 21 October 2026. A Fluke multimeter buying guide has to separate current, true RMS, temperature and the printed category, because those are not the same column and the brand name does not promote a model into a rating it does not print. Peter F. checked those amazon.co.uk listings, not a lab. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you. The live table, including the top pick and the best value, stays on the Fluke multimeter comparison.

Our top picks

Badge	Product	True RMS	Category	Current	Note	Price	Offer
Best overall	Fluke Fluke 117	Yes	CAT III 600 V	Not stated	8.2	about £215.00	View offer
Best value	Fluke Fluke 15B+	Not stated	CAT III 600 V	10 A AC/DC	7.1	about £101.45	View offer
Alternative	Fluke Fluke 179	Yes	CAT IV 600, III 1000 V	Limit not stated	6.9	about £442.80	View offer

Best overall

8.2/10about £215.00

Best value

7.1/10about £101.45

Alternative

6.9/10about £442.80

On this page

1.Start with current and category
2.True RMS is a separate column
3.Temperature, pocket size and the 170 series
4.What the listings disagree about

Start with current and category

The first split is whether you need to measure amps. The Fluke 101, at £89.99 with 4.5 from 1,561 ratings, lists voltage, resistance, continuity, capacitance, frequency and duty cycle at CAT III 600 V. Current is not in that list. A battery, a fuse or a flex is enough. A current reading is not. CAT III 600 V on the 101, the 107, the 15B+, the 17B+ and the 117 is the line GS38 associates with distribution boards and socket outlets. It is not a service-head rating. Only the 177 and the 179 add CAT IV 600 V and CAT III 1000 V. That limit is on the Fluke CAT rating page.

True RMS is a separate column

True RMS is about the shape of the wave. Drives, dimmers and switched-mode supplies distort the sine, and an average-responding meter can read that voltage wrong. Fluke states true RMS for the 117, the 177 and the 179. Fluke's table marks the 15B+ and the 17B+ as not true RMS. The 101 listing does not claim it. The 15B+ at £101.45 and the 17B+ at £130.00 do not say true RMS on amazon.co.uk. A dimmer or a drive wants the 117, at £215.00, with VoltAlert and low-impedance AutoVolt at CAT III 600 V, or a 170-series meter. Fluke's UK page states 10 A for the 117. The amazon.co.uk listing does not print a current limit.

Testsieger

Fluke Fluke 117

8.2/10about £215.00

View offer

Temperature, pocket size and the 170 series

VoltAlert is only on the 117. A type-K thermocouple is in the 17B+ box line, with TL75 leads and two AA cells. The 15B+ and the 17B+ both list CAT III 600 V and current to 10 A. Spend the step from £101.45 to £130.00 when you will use the probe. A UK review used that probe on an air-conditioning compressor and still called the 17B+ pricey. A non-UK review said the probe was missing from one box. The 179 names a built-in thermometer, upper field 400 °C, and Amazon does not itemise a probe. The 177 is £382.80 with 4.2 from three ratings, and its power field says Corded Electric with no mains lead. The 179 is £442.80 with 4.6 from 487. Amazon says 10 years; Fluke's UK page says lifetime. That pair is on Fluke 117 vs 179.

What the listings disagree about

On the 15B+, Amazon bullets mention frequency and temperature, while Fluke's data sheet gives frequency and the thermocouple to the 17B+ only. Buy the 17B+ if the probe has to be in the box. The same pair prints CAT III 600 V beside a bullet that says voltage up to 1,000 V. Follow the safety line. A 1,000 V measuring bullet is not CAT IV. The 107 prints CAT III 600 V and CAT III 1000 V. Keep both. The 117 style name says Pack of 10 while the item count is 1. The 179 dimensions of 27.9 x 41.9 x 8.9 cm read like the parcel. None of these meters is a BS 7671 multifunction tester.

Common questions

Do I need true RMS?

You need true RMS when the voltage is not a clean sine, which is common on dimmers, variable-speed drives and switched-mode supplies. In this set Fluke states it for the 117, the 177 and the 179. The 15B+, the 17B+, the 107 and the 101 do not get that label from Fluke's table or from their amazon.co.uk titles.

Can the 101 measure current?

No. The amazon.co.uk measuring parameters for the Fluke 101 are voltage, resistance, capacitance, frequency and duty cycle. Amps are not listed, and the user manual does not add a current step. At £89.99 it is the lowest price here, with 4.5 from 1,561 ratings. If the job needs current, look at the 15B+, which lists up to 10 A, rather than hoping the 101 has a hidden range.

What does the 17B+ add over the 15B+?

Fluke's data sheet gives both meters CAT III 600 V and current to 10 A, and it gives frequency and a type-K temperature probe to the 17B+ only. On amazon.co.uk the 17B+ box line names that probe, the TL75 leads and two AA batteries, at £130.00 against £101.45 for the 15B+. Neither listing says true RMS. Buy the 17B+ when you will use the probe.

Why do some pages call the 15B+ true RMS?

Because a third-party article says so, and that claim conflicts with Fluke's own table, which marks the 15B+ and the 17B+ as not true RMS. The amazon.co.uk 15B+ title and bullets do not say true RMS either. Treat the Fluke table and the UK listing as the sources, and treat the blog line as a mistake.

Does a Fluke replace a multifunction tester?

No. These seven listings are handheld digital multimeters. They are not BS 7671 multifunction testers, and they do not produce an Electrical Installation Certificate. To prove a circuit dead, GS38 prefers a test lamp or a two-pole detector, proved before and after.

Best Fluke multimeter